Jaylen Brown And VJ Edgecombe Candidly Address Playing With A 41-Year-Old LeBron James
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Jaylen Brown, V.J. Edgecombe, and Tyrese Maxey of the 76ers recently sat down with ESPN’s Mallika Andrews to discuss what it was like to play alongside 41-year-old LeBron James in Philadelphia.
“The 12-year-old me is over the moon… No glaze, but you’re playing with one of the greatest, if not the greatest,” Jaylen Brown said. “We both grew up watching, so that’s an honor and a privilege in itself,” he added while sitting with Tyrese Maxey.
“Being around one of the greatest players to ever play this game in the locker room, on the bus, in the film room… I think that’s pretty cool,” Brown concluded.
Jaylen Brown is 29, so 17 years ago, when Brown was 12, LeBron James was already a five-time All-Star and a two-time All-Star Game MVP at age 24. So being teammates with someone you grew up watching on TV must certainly be thrilling.
V.J. Edgecombe, however, is almost half of LeBron James’ age. The 21-year-old 76ers sophomore hilariously compared James to a father figure due to their age difference.
“Nah, never. I thought he was going to retire a few years ago. So I was like, I’ll never catch LeBron James in the NBA,” Edgecombe said when asked if he ever thought he’d team up in the NBA with LeBron James someday.
“He’s exactly old enough to be my dad, which is crazy. I ain’t gonna lie. His son is older than me, which is crazy,” he concluded.
Edgecombe hilariously compared it to how it’s even less likely James would be teammates with him than with his own son. So while it salutes his longevity, it almost certainly makes the 41-year-old veteran feel old.
Moments like these serve as a reminder of how long LeBron James has been at the top of the NBA, having played for more than 20 years. It’s a dream come true for Jaylen Brown to share a locker room with someone he grew up admiring. But for VJ Edgecombe, having James on the team is almost like having another father figure.
The age difference is made funnier because Bronny, James’ son, is older than Edgecombe. Nevertheless, these responses reveal a great deal about James’ longevity and the regard he enjoys in the league.
At 41, he still competes alongside players who grew up watching his highlights, proving his career has spanned generations. While Edgecombe’s comments might make James feel old, they also highlight how remarkable it is that he is still playing at such a high level.